I am an accidental birder. I rarely go anywhere in search of a particular bird with the exception of Snowy Owls, but I take great pleasure in unplanned accidental encounters with birds. If that “accidental birder” description fits you, May and June are the perfect months to meander in our parks and Independence Oaks County Park should be near the top of your list.
I wander the trails of Independence Oaks almost every week. It’s good exercise, a lot of fun and I can almost guarantee you will see Tree Swallow acrobatics and Canada Geese and their fluffy goslings. Those species are perfect for introducing young children to birds and the pleasures of birding.
Oakland County has good tree swallow habitat and some locations provide excellent viewing for their acrobatic flights. These almost iridescent fast flyers with pointed wings thrive in open habitats with nearby trees for nesting habitat. The name Tree Swallow is well deserved since they nest in hollows of standing dead trees, but they also readily take to properly placed nesting boxes.
If you are patient and head to the north end of Independence Oaks and walk out onto the docks, you may spot a few tree swallows zipping around and then seemingly vanish to a cluster of dead trees about 100 feet from the end of the dock. They rest for a while, survey the scene, and then go back to their pursuit of flying insects. Those flights will become more frequent once there are hungry mouths to feed.
One of the best places for observation, however, is from the edge of the field located next to the parking lot near the main entrance of Independence Oaks. Have your camera at the ready! The tree swallows are frequently at their nest boxes and often perch on the sign posts.
The male tree swallows have shiny bluish green feathers on their backs, which contrast strongly with their bright white fronts. The females are less colorful with their backs being a greenish brown.
After an hour of just watching the tree swallows, I follow the trail into the main part of the park and I proceed to the boathouse for a visit with the Canada Geese and their goslings. If you don’t see the geese right away, just wait a few minutes. They won’t fly off since their goslings can’t yet fly.
The goslings hatch in an advanced state and, unlike many bird species, they can waddle about and feed themselves almost immediately.
It’s delightful to watch the goslings feed in the grass and they are not wary of people being nearby. However, do not try to feed them. They do not need handouts and trouble starts when they become habituated to people feeding them. Love them or hate them, Canada Geese are here to stay.
Jonathan Schechter is the Nature Education Writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way, trails and wildlife on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.
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